Machine for damping and giving press-copied effects to letters



(N0 M0del.)

. A. J. BODKIN. v

MACHINE FOR DAMPING AND GIVING PRESS GOPIED BFFEGTS T0 LETTERS.

1%. 581,056. Patented Apr. 20, 189.7.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ALPHA J. BODKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR DAMPING AND GIVING PRESS-COPIED EFFECTS TO LETTERS.

SPECIFICATIQN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 581,056, dated April 20, 1897.

Application filed March 20, 1896. Serial No. 584,040. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALPHA J. BODKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Dampening and Giving Press-Copied Effects to Letters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved paperdampening machine especially designed for use in producing a press-copied effect upon letters which have been either typewritten or printed by various known processes.

My invention is also well adapted for dam pening paper or press-copy blotters for printers or for office use, as it is of strong, light, and simple construction, may be operated with little power-and at a high speed, and maybe nicely adj usted to thoroughly dampen the paper in a uniform manner to any required degree.

' Myinvention consists, primarily, in a novel combination and arrangement of dam penin groller, squeezing and drying roller, and paper feed and pressing roller, the two lastnamed rollers being arranged adjustable in a simple manner upon the dampening-roller to first squeeze out the padding of the dampening-roller and then pressing the paper upon it, and also in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts for holding the paper before and receiving the paper after being dampened, for carrying the dampened sheets from the rollers and delivering them upon an adjustable table, and also in a certain novel construction of dampeningroller to be used especially with a squeeze drying-roller, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance With my invention; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail in cross-section of the rollers, showing the padding and the action of the rollers one upon the other; and Fig. 4, a detail view in perspective, showing the adjustment of the receiving-table.

The frame A of my machine consists of two side pieces or castings A, which provide housings A A and bearings A", respectively, for the squeeze drying-roller B, the pressing feedroller 0, and the dampening-roller D. The frame side pieces A are bolted to a base A and are connected transversely by tie-bolts A A and screw-nuts fitted thereon to securely hold the side pieces together and complete the frame structure.

The shaft (Z of the dampening-roller D is supported at its ends in fixed bearings a of the frame, and the shafts b 0, respectively, of the rollers B and C are supported in adjustable bearings a a of the side pieces A of the frame, which bearings move in radial guides a and a, respectively, and are pressed upon by adjusting-screws E F, fitted in screwthreaded bosses e f in the side pieces of the frame to adjust the rollers 13 and C, respectively, with suitable pressure required for each toward the centeror axis of each of said rollers. The roller C is arranged directly above the dampening roller D, and the squeeze drying-roller B is placed at an angle above th'eliorizontal and also sufficiently near said horizontal line to leave a space for the inclined feed-board G of a feed-table G, supported upon brackets g, secured to the frame. A pan II is supported upon crossrods a a rests upon and is secured to the side pieces of the frame by clips h, and is lifted up and removed from the machine by handles h, secured to the ends thereof in any well-known manner.

A paper-receivin g table I is supported upon an arm i, pivoted at 71 to the side frames and also to the middle part of the sides thereof at 1' and is supported at any required angle by a pawl i supported upon the tie-bolt A and engaging with ratchet-teeth 11 upon the under side of the arm 2', a rod i depending from the rear end of the table I and ad j ustably secured to the arm iby a clamp-bolt 5*, serving to hold the table I at all times in horizontal position.

The table I has holes in each side thereof at equal distances from each other, into which are fitted dowel-pins upon an abutment-plate K, which may be adjusted upon the table at any required point to suit paper of different sizes. The abutment-plate K is inclined forwardly and thus secures an even-edged deposit of the sheets upon the table".

The side frames A at the delivery end of the machine project somewhat toward the delivery-table and have bearingsl to receive rollers L L, placed one above the other and each having grooves 1 turned in their peripheries to receive threads M, which pass, rcspeetively, from the upper roller L around the pressing feed-roller O and from the lower roll er L around the lower dampening-roller D, the said threads thus serving to receive the paper from between the pressing feed-roller and the dampening-roller and to deliver it upon the table I in flat sheets. The paper sheets when passed between the smaller upper roller and the larger dampening-roll would tend to curl upand wind around the upper roll were it not for the paper-carrying threads arranged and operating as above described.

The squeezing-roller l3 and the pressingroller C are covered with a semi-absorbent fabric, preferably mole-skin, and the dampening-roller is covered with an inner layer of rubber an eighth of an inch, and preferably more, in thickness and an outer layer or cover of plush of at least the same thickness, which will hold or take up a quantity of water sufficient to'insure an ample and even saturation and also sufficiently thick to be pressed out thoroughly by the squeeze drying-roller, the rubber inner cover yielding sufficiently to allow the plush to be thoroughly squeezed out, but retain sufficient moisture to dampen the paper to the required degree when brought in contact therewith by the pressing feedroller. This action is illustrated upon an enlarged scale in Fig. I where the surface of the dampeniug-roller is indented by the squeezing-roller, the action being such, n'actically, that the said rollers may be driven at a rapid rate of speed and the water thrown down from the dampening-roller by the squeezing-roller in a continuous stream, while the covering of the dampening-reller will only retain sufficient water to moisten slightly the paper passed between the dampening and the pressing feed roller. The rubber inner cover only allows the water to soak into the outer cover of plush or other soft spongy fabric.

The dampening-roller may be driven by hand or by pulleys N on its shaft from any source of power.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A machine for dampening paper, comprising a padded dampening-roller, a squeeze drying-roller and a pressing feed-roller supported in bearings in frame side pieces, the bearings of the said squeeze drying and pressing feed-rollers being adjustable toward the central axis of the dampening-roller in radial lines therewith, substantially as described.

2. A machine for dampening paper, comprisinga dampening-roller, a squeeze dryingrollerand pressing feed-rollerhavingbearings adjustable in radial lines to the dampeningroller and supported in side frames,two freelyrevolving groovedrollers placed one above the other atthe front of the machine and carrierthreads fitting in the said grooves to connect respectively the uppergrooved roller with the pressing feed-roller and the lower grooved roller with the dampening-roller, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

A machine for dampening paper, com prising the frame, the dampening-r01ler, the adjustable squeeze and feed pressing-rollers, the grooved rollers supported in the frame, the carrier-threads supported thereon and upon the dampening and feed rollers, and the adjustable reccivingtablc provided with an inclined ab utiment-plate adjustable upon said table, substantially as described.

4. A machine for dampening paper, comprising a frame, a dampening-roller, a feed pressing-roller and a squeeze drying-roller, the said dampening-roller consisting of a central core of hard material, a rubber sheath fitted thereon and an outer cover of soft textile material, as pl ush, to allow the squeeze drying-roller to press the outer cover against andinto the peripheral line of the soft elastic rubber sheath, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALPHA J. BODKIN.

'itnesses:

V. II. Rowe, R. L. TERRY. 

